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Top 10 bullet scenes in movies

With this week’s premiere of IFC’s crime-ridden, ultra-violent two-night event “Bullet in the Face” (kicking off Thursday 10/9c), let’s lock, load and take aim at some of the most memorable bullet scenes in cinema.

“The Matrix” (1999) – “Bullet time”

One simply cannot even fathom doing a bullet-themed feature without including the film that introduced the term “bullet-time” into the pop culture consciousness. While some of the visual effects in the Wachowskis’ game-changing science-fiction thriller may now look a little dated (hey, it’s been over 13 years, after all), the maestro flourish featuring Neo (Keanu Reeves) dodging the tiny particles being fired at him by the Agents (mostly by really, really leaning back) remains an exhilarating sight. What a great hero moment – and a great bullet moment, at that.

“Superman Returns” (2006) – “Bullet vs. Superman’s Eye”

And who do you think wins? Special effects technology has leaped tall buildings in a single bound since the time of the 1978 “Superman,” which means that by 2006 director Bryan Singer could really get big (or, in this case, small) in showing off the many powers of the Man of Steel. We love this scene mostly because this idiot truly seems to think that a silly machine gun is going to stop the guy in the red cape whom everyone knows can’t be hurt by bullets, even when there’s a lot of them all at once. That single bullet being crushed by coming into contact with one of Superman’s baby blues is one of the film’s most audience-pleasing moments.

“Fight Club” (1999) – “Exorcising Tyler Durden”

Sure, the Narrator’s (Edward Norton) last resort in ridding himself of his id-driven terrorist alter-ego (Brad Pitt) might not make much sense (we guess a bullet in the cheek is a quick cure for psychosis?), but it sure is viscerally satisfying … especially when Tyler himself gets one more quip in (“What’s that smell?”) before hitting the floor and floating back into the subconsious. One has to wonder if screenwriter Jim Uhls didn’t quite know how to wrap up the central conflict in “Fight Club” after considerably changing the ending of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel already, but hey, there’s something about it that works just fine. Unfortunately we don’t have the clip itself, but why not go behind-the-scenes of the movie magic that brought this slo-mo ker-blam to life?

“Pulp Fiction” (1994) – “Marvin Should’ve Had an Opinion”

“Oh man, I shot Marvin in the face…” John Travolta’s blithe line reading of hapless hitman Vincent Vega’s reaction to his unfortunate “accident” in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” turns a shockingly violent set piece into one of the film’s funniest moments (Jules’ profane-ridden outrage at the sudden situation helps, too). We’ll never quite know how Vincent managed to squeeze on the trigger whilst insisting that his associate, Marvin, has to have an opinion on whether or not the fact that he and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) survived a recent ambush was an “act of God” or not, but it’s probably most definitely not because driver Jules “hit a bump or something.” Anyway, time to get to Jimmy’s at Toluca Lake and call the Wolf to clean up the mess!

“Fargo” (1996) – “Ohhhhh geez…”

“I gave simple fu**ing instructions!” Oh, Carl, don’t you know this caper was doomed from the start when it couldn’t be agreed whether Shep said the meeting was 7:30 or 8:30? Things go from bad to almost supernaturally worse in “Fargo,” and Wade’s (Harve Presnell) alpha-male ego doesn’t help matters when he thinks he can strong-arm the men who kidnapped his daughter. “No Jean, no money!” gets Wade shot through his parka (we love that poof of cotton – oh, Coen Brothers!), though he manages to avenge himself somewhat by shooting Carl in the face (Steve Buscemi). “You should see the other guy,” Carl will later joke to his partner, Gaer Grimsrud (Peter Stormare), who will later top it all by showing you don’t need a gun when an axe and wood chipper will do just fine.

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The Best Of The Last

The end is near. In mere days Portlandia wraps up its final season, and oh what a season it’s been. Lucky for you, you can watch the entire season right now right here and on the IFC app, including this free episode courtesy of Subaru.

But now, let’s take a moment to look back at some of the new classics Fred and Carrie have so thoughtfully bestowed upon us. (We’ll be looking back through tear-blurred eyes, but you do you.)

Couples Dinner

It’s not that being single sucks, it’s that you suck if you’re single.

Cancel it!

A sketch for anyone who has cancelled more appointments than they’ve kept. Which is everyone.

Forgotten America

This one’s a “Serial” killer…everything both right and wrong about true crime podcasts.

Wedding Planners

The only bad wedding is a boring wedding.

Disaster Hut

It’s only the end of the world if your doomsday kit doesn’t include rosé.

Catch up on Portlandia’s final episodes on demand and at IFC.com

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Your Portlandia Personality Test

Carrie and Fred understand that although we have so much in common, we’re each so beautifully unique and different. To help us navigate those differences, Portlandia has found an easy and honest way to embrace our special selves in the form of a progressive new traffic system: a specific lane for every kind of driver. It’s all in honor of the show’s 8th and final season, and it’s all presented by Subaru.

Ready to find out who you really are? Match your personality to a lane and hop on the expressway to self-understanding.

Lane 10: Trucks Piled With Junk

Your junk is falling out of your trunk. Shake a tail light, people — this lane is for you.

Lane 33: Twins

You’re like a Gemini, but waaaay more pedestrian. Maybe you and a friend just wear the same outfits a lot. Who cares, it’s just twinning enough to make you feel special.

Lane 27: Broken Windows

Bad luck follows you around and everyone knows it. Your proverbial seat is always damp from proverbial rain. Is this the universe telling you to swallow your pride? Yes.

Lane 69: Filthy Cars

You’re all about convenience. Getting your car washed while you drive is a no-brainer.

Lane 43: Newly Divorced Singles

It’s been a while since you’ve driven alone, and you don’t know the rules of the road anymore. What’s too fast? What’s too slow? Are you sending the right signals? Don’t worry, the breakdown lane is nearby if you need it.

Still can’t find a lane to match your personality? Check out all the videos here. And see the final season of Portlandia this spring on IFC.